In this post, we explore what the factors are that define the best place and time to do physical exercise.
Best Time for Exercise
The best time of the day to do physical exercise depends very much on your own preferences and innate biological rhythm, but also on your daily schedule with respect to other activities, such as your job, household tasks, bringing the kids to school, and whatnot.
In addition, each person is different. Some people function better in the morning, others in the afternoon, and again others in the evening.
Morning exercises may boost your energy for the day, while evening exercises may help to release stress and induce better sleep patterns. It all depends, and it’s something you need to find out for yourself.
Best Place for Exercise
Basically you can do physical exercises almost everywhere, and what’s best depends on your preferences and your options. Of course, it also depends on the type of physical exercise you do; for instance, paddling needs a lake, river, or the sea, and canyoning needs a canyon.
In addition, some people want to be alone, and others choose to exercise where they can meet other people and socialize, and again others rather do exercise in the form of team sports such as soccer, volleyball, or hockey.
Doing exercise indoors at home or at the gym has as its advantage that you can almost always do it or plan it because you don’t need to take the weather conditions into account. It can offer more convenience, control, and comfort, but it may also be more tedious, repetitive, and sometimes more costly compared to outdoor exercise.
Nevertheless, some types of physical exercise can only be done outdoors. Think of kayaking, hiking, horse riding, and numerous other types of activities.
Personally, I prefer doing exercise outdoors in a natural environment. It’s just that I like being in Nature, while it also has some health advantages over indoor exercise about which you can read more in our post about Green Exercise.
On the other hand, I have often seen people exercising outdoors in smog-polluted cities, between car exhaust fumes (even if it’s in so-called “green parks” or “green areas”), and you cannot stop asking yourself if that’s actually “something good.” In fact, depending on the place you live in it might be healthier to exercise indoors.
Compared to indoor exercise, outdoor exercise often depends on weather conditions and that makes it somewhat harder to plan and fit into a routine.
There may also be an aspect of safety considerations which can make outdoor exercise in your particular living environment unadvisable. In this case, it’s perhaps better not to venture out alone, but it might be perfectly fine going together with someone else or in a group.